Ballet Folklorico de Mexico is traditional — it has to be — but it's also changing for the times

The Palacio de Bellas Artes is a majestic art nouveau gem in the heart of Mexico City, standing on the edge of the oldest urban green space in the Americas, the Alameda Central. Considered one of the most prominent hubs of cultural activity in Mexico City, the Palacio de Bellas Artes is also the home of Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez, who regularly pack the house — with up to three shows on Sundays — to perform traditional dances originating from all corners of Mexico.

The first time Ballet Folklorico performed in Chicago was 1959, marking the company’s first trip overseas to open the Pan American Games at Soldier Field. In a 1997 interview with the Tribune, founder Amalia Hernandez said Chicago held a special place in her heart, in large part because the company’s performance at the Pan American Games earned the attention of then-Mexican President Lopez Mateos, which directly contributed to their current residency at the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

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Hernandez created more than 80 works prior to her death in 2000. Her grandson, Salvador Lopez, took over the company, which is solely focused on preserving, updating and refreshing Hernandez’s work.

And Lopez shares Hernandez’s affection for Chicago: “There are a lot of Mexicans living in Chicago. When we bring the company, we feel that we are bringing part of Mexico to them. It's one of the most important markets for the company in terms of Mexicans living abroad,” he said in a phone interview.

Chicagoans will get another chance to see this living history of Mexico this weekend, the first time since 2015. The program, part of the Auditorium Theatre’s international dance series, includes dances inspired by the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and the Mexican Revolution, plus rope work performed by charros to mariachi rhythms. And yes, there’s the “Mexican Hat Dance,” too.

Lopez noted that the company is also an important ambassador of Mexican culture for people from other cultural backgrounds, and Hernandez was committed to creating works which showed the history and diversity of the country. “Deer Dance,” for example, is a rite performed by the Yaqui people, an indigenous culture which evaded the influences of Spanish colonialism. Also on this weekend’s program is “The Quetzals of Puebla,” based on an ancient Aztec dance about King Moctezuma.

“The company is a demonstration of Mexican culture,” said Lopez. “We have a lot of diversity from the Gulf Coast to the Pacific Coast. There are a lot of different ways to show the music, the costumes, and the way we dance. [Dance is] a language for everybody. It’s not only for Mexicans. Other audiences enjoy it, and it’s been said [Ballet Folklorico] is the most important company of its kind.”

Lopez’s impact on the company has been to ensure that Hernadez’s work is preserved, but he also realized that it was important to up the ante in terms of production value to stay current. “It’s a company that lives from the past, but is renovated all the time. We’ve been taking risks by including classical orchestras or [ballet] dancers, adding new lighting designs and new sound designs,” he said.

“What we understood recently is that Amalia’s works are brilliant, but people today see shows and spectacles in a different way. So, we have to bring the company to the new age, refresh the company … and do new things. That includes not only making Amalia’s work as it was done 50 years ago.”

Since Ballet Folklorico’s last visit to the Auditorium Theatre in 2015, audiences will notice new musical scores and updated lighting designs, plus vibrant new costumes and sets. “If you saw the company in the ’60s, and come this weekend in Chicago, you will see a very different company,” said Lopez.

Miami City Ballet: Returning for two nights at the Harris, this stunning company has Chicago ties which include the appointment of Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, former CEO of the Auditorium, as its new executive director. The program includes the Chicago premiere of “One Line Drawn,” the last of three commissions from Brian Brooks, who became the Harris’ first choreographer in residence in 2016. Balanchine’s “Concerto Barocco” and the 1984 dance “Brahms/Handel,” by Twyla Tharp and Jerome Robbins, complete the evening. Thursday and Friday at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; tickets $35-$135 at 312-334-7777 and www.harristheaterchicago.org.

Red Clay Dance: Dance Center alum Vershawn Sanders-Ward celebrates the 10th anniversary of her Fuller Park-based company by returning to her stomping grounds. The evening-length dance “Ekili Munda| / What Lies Within” was conceived more than a decade ago, created in collaboration with Keiga Dance Company from Uganda. Through dance, the choreographers seek to create a broad dialog about cultural identity in the African diaspora and on the continent. Thursday through Saturday at the Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Ave.; tickets $30 at 312-369-8330 and dance.colum.edu